Just Fine
by The Genius Mage
Summary: Two-shot, giftfic. He needed to stop, needed to stop seeing her this way. It was going to ruin their relationship if he ever crossed the line between friendship and...Set in the game-universe. BarryxDawn
1. Not Worth the Risk

_~*Just Fine*~_

_Some people never really change at all._

* * *

_Part One: Not Worth the Risk_

* * *

He almost didn't recognize her.

Slateport City was a popular tourist destination in Hoenn. To the south, a great ocean, blue and gold in the afternoon rays, crashed and splashed against the beach. Up above, the sky was a cloudless sapphire, Wingulls and Pelippers diving and swooping near the crests of the waves. It was warm and crowded as one would expect a city to be.

So naturally she'd not be near the beaches. Being the great nerd she was—almost more so than Lucas—she was sitting near the Oceanic Museum, on a bench out of the way from everything else. She had her nose buried in a Contest magazine, its cover proudly depicting an (admittedly stylish) Sceptile in the process of performing Leaf Blade.

In truth, the only reason he had even noticed her was because no one else had a Luxray in all of Hoenn, or at least not that _he_ had seen. And he knew only _hers_ had a big notch in his right ear.

Instead of sprinting right past her, like he had nearly done, heading for the open-air Bazaar that Slateport boasted and its many fabulous wares, Barry jogged backwards until he was standing right in front of her. He briefly considered waiting until she noticed him, but that would become boring incredibly fast. Better to just…

"Hey, Dawn!" He shouted loudly.

She jumped a foot in the air, her magazine flying from her hands to drop on the ground. Her Luxray huffed, rolled his eyes, and proceeded to gently pick the dropped article up in his mouth.

She was dressed way differently than he was used to, another reason why he had almost missed her, saw her as just another face. Instead of a scarf and her customary hat, she had forsaken such things and instead was garbed in pink shorts, a black t-shirt, and a white baseball cap. Her dark hair was longer also, having had passed her shoulders.

He himself was still wearing his orange striped shirt and gray pants, just minus the scarf. Hoenn was famous for its eternal summer after all.

With as much dignity as she could muster, Dawn drew herself up and glared at him, putting her hand out and letting her Luxray drop the magazine back into her grip. "Barry! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

He scratched the bridge of his nose, eyebrows raised. "Huh? Why?" Without waiting for her answer, he went on. "So when did you get to Hoenn?" Again, he didn't let her speak. "Wait, I know! You got here recently right? 'Cause you always challenge the Gyms in order instead of jumping around."

"That's it," she agreed readily enough. She clasped her hands in front of her, grinning at him. "But Barry, these Contests are even _more awesome_! Slateport sure knows how to perform! There are Contest Halls all over Hoenn, and it's particularly famous in Lilycove. I just _have_ to get there!"

Never quite understanding her obsession with Contests—it made him sick sometimes that she was a better battler than him but was more interested in making her Pokémon do pretty tricks—Barry interrupted her before she could finish her next sentence. "When was the last time I saw you?"

She gave a knowing smile. "I saw you back in Rustboro, but it was _you_ that didn't see _me_."

Stomping a foot, he growled, "So why didn't you say anything? I should fine you a million—"

"Oh shush." Dawn sat down again and crossed her legs, returning to her page with a flourish of her manicured nails. Luxray barked in amusement as Barry scowled.

_Ugh I hate that Luxray of hers…it's got creepy eyes. And she knows it, too._

"Hey don't act like I'm not here!" He plucked the magazine from her and held it high, standing on tiptoe so she couldn't reach. To his surprise, he had gotten taller than her by a full head. She lunged for it, bouncing up and down, but was unable to reach. "So like I was saying, when was the last time _I_ saw _you_?"

"I dunno, 'bout a month or so ago? You called but you left for Hoenn without me." She pulled back and started to pout, and Barry found himself giving her magazine back without a second thought, just to erase her frown.

"I've got it!" Barry exclaimed, shaking his head in an effort to clear it (though he didn't know why it was fuzzy to begin with).

"Uh oh."

"Let's have a Pokémon battle! One-on-one!"

"Isn't it _always_ one-on-one?"

He snatched a Pokéball from his belt, clicking the button in the center with a snarky grin. "As in just _one_ Pokémon! And not our Sinnoh ones, but whatever Hoenn guys we picked up here!"

"Must I?" Dawn sighed, glancing at her Luxray. He shrugged his broad shoulders, settling down in the shade of the tree that grew near the bench with a yawn.

"What's wrong? You _scared_?" His orange eyes contained a challenge, and the girl evidently decided to rise to it.

"Alright then, but the loser buys the winner a Soda, _and_ all of her Pokémon one too!"

"_Her_ Pokémon? You mean _his_!"

There, that felt better. Now that he was about to start a battle, familiar between him and her, his head wasn't so…foggy. He had been fine until he had run into Dawn.

_Maybe it's the heat or something._

"Oh, wait!" She hurriedly caught her Pokéball—a blue Great Ball—before it hit the ground. She dove after it and ended up skinning her arms and knees on the pavement, but she got back up and didn't seem to notice it, so Barry didn't ask if she was okay.

"_What_?"

"We can't fight near this museum! We'll go down to the beach! Luxray, let's go!" Dawn pelted past him, her Electric-type bolting after her, heavy paws slamming the ground, and he scrambled to follow. Of course it became a race, with the two shoving one another in an effort to get there first. Indignant pedestrians yelled some unkind things after the two, but Barry honestly didn't give a darn about their small-minded opinions.

Bells tolled sunshine over their heads, and as they sprinted, he found his gaze drawn to hers for some reason. Her eyes were bright with determination, the color of dark ocean storms, a richer shade of blue than her Luxray's pelt by far. He blinked, wondering why he was staring for so long instead of just—

_Crash!_

Someone started swearing (probably him), and Barry staggered to his feet, rubbing his forehead. "Ow…"

"Barry! Are you okay?" Dawn skidded to a halt at his side, and he shook off her concerned hand with a grunt.

"Hey! Who do you think you are? Watch where you're going!" The impatient teen told the unfortunate boy he had just crashed into.

"Ugh…I'm sorry," a timid voice replied. This was followed by a bout of wheezing and Barry looked up, seeing a green-haired, frail looking boy clad in white and light tan. He leaned against his Pokémon for support—an elegant Gardevoir—and fished an inhaler out of his left pocket.

"Barry! Apologize. _Now_. It wasn't his fault and you know it!" Dawn grabbed his shirt and forced him forward until he was two feet or so from the kid that looked about a year younger than him.

She was in the right, and he knew it, but that didn't mean he was going to…

_I'll never hear the end of it otherwise._

"Sorry," Barry muttered. "You okay?" He began to become genuinely concerned when the boy didn't reply. "C'mon, it was only a little—"

"A headlong collision isn't that easy to recover from, but I'm fine." With that he brushed past Barry and continued on without a backwards glance, his Gardevoir gliding at his side.

"Nice job you idiot." Dawn motioned for him to follow her and they arrived at the beach without any more incidents. Now she turned to him with a victorious smile and recalled her Luxray whilst releasing a Zangoose.

"Now we're talking! Go, Mightyena!"

The black wolf-like Pokémon emerged in a flash of white, and Dawn's Zangoose blinked, utterly unimpressed.

"You know, only _you_ can run into someone at high speeds and not be bothered in the slightest."

"I've got the Hard Head Special Ability! It prevents recoil damage!"

Despite herself, she broke into laughter, causing Barry to grin in delight.

One second later, he was disturbed immensely. Since when did he enjoy her laughter _that_ much?

"Alright," Dawn announced, wiping away an imaginary tear. "Zangoose, use Slash!"

In a spray of pale sand her Pokémon sprang forward, snarling furiously, all of the fur rising along his back. Mightyena crouched low, and at Barry's command, met his charge with a fierce Bite. The two tussled on the ground for a bit, clawing and biting, intent on knocking out the other.

When Zangoose tried a Crush Claw, Barry ordered his Mightyena back and changed tactics. "Sand Attack!"

The wolf-like creature proceeded to kick the aforementioned gritty substance into the Normal-type's face, and the Pokémon hissed in irritation, raising a paw to shield his eyes. Whilst he was distracted, Mightyena delivered a critical Dark Pulse straight to Zangoose's chest.

"Yeah! Good thing I bought that TM! Use Bite and finish off that—"

"Zangoose, Brick Break!"

Barry winced as her Pokémon's gaze suddenly became crystal clear. Somehow, at his Trainer's urging, he focused on Mightyena and brought his long claws around in a slicing arc, knocking the Dark-type to the ground with a nasty _crunch_.

"Up on your feet Mightyena! Hyper Beam!"

As the burst of swirling scarlet energy lanced from the wolf-like beast's jaws, he grinned at Dawn in what he had intended to be a triumphant smirk.

Instead…his smile vanished. He blinked slowly, and the world seemed to go in slow motion as he beheld her just a few feet from him, safely behind her Zangoose. The sun struck off of the sand flying into the air, catching small crystals embedded within every individual grain. Her hat was turned backwards, fully revealing her eyes, shining brighter than he had ever seen them before. She seemed to be caught in the throes of exultation, both fists clenched and raised at her sides, all of the calm reserve she had shown while reading her magazine long gone.

He liked her better that way.

Then, immediately, as an after-effect—_What the…? What's wrong with me lately? I need to stop looking at her like that before I—_

"Barry! Look out!" Dawn shrieked in astonishment, and he snapped back to his senses just in time to notice his Mightyena flying towards him. The eighty pound Pokémon slammed into him and sent him sprawling for the second time that day. Groaning, he shoved the unconscious creature off of him and blinked stupidly.

"What…just happened?"

Zangoose limped heavily after his Trainer as she rushed towards her friend. "You just spaced out, and Mightyena didn't know what to do and ended up being defeated by Zangoose. What's wrong with you?"

Feeling a little guilty for his injured Pokémon, he stroked his black fur before sending him back into his Pokéball. "Well hey, that's not very honorable of you! Sure, go ahead and take advantage of—"

"Pish posh, if_ I_ had lost my focus, you'd have done the same thing." She offered him his hand and Barry staggered to his feet. Despite his teasing boasting earlier, he really _did_ hurt all over from not just one, but _two_ collisions.

Zangoose snorted before he, too, was recalled. Dawn didn't let go of his hand, to his curious pleasure, but instead closed both of hers over his. Genuine concern replaced the sarcasm glinting in her eyes. "You sure you're okay?"

He hated this. Hated how close she was. Hated how her eyes glimmered. Hated the heat rising to his cheeks, probably coloring his ears red for all he knew. Hated how he kept looking at her so differently. They had been friends forever, nothing more, right? Barry jerked away from her and whipping around, he disappeared into the crowds before she could follow.

He pretended not to hear her calling his name.

He just wanted to get away from her and all of the new feelings he was having…because he knew what it was deep inside, but part of him insisted that if he ignored it, he could lie and say their friendship wouldn't be tarnished by something as stupid as love.

It simply wasn't worth the risk.

* * *

_**Part one of two of the Barry x Dawn story I'm writing for my epic and awesome friend RawkstarVienna. I hope you like it so far! The second piece will be considerably longer, but this seemed like a good place to stop for now.**_

_**I apologize for errors in the characterization—I haven't played Diamond/Pearl/Platinum at all, only HeartGold, Gale of Darkness, Sapphire, and LeafGreen. Out of those, Hoenn is my favorite region, hence the location. This is set somewhere after Platinum.**_

_**I'm one of those shameless review beggars, so please, review!**_


	2. Head Starts

_~*Just Fine*~_

_Some people never really change at all._

* * *

_Part Two: Head Starts_

* * *

"Barry!"

He ran as hard as he could until her voice grew fainter and fainter and he couldn't hear a word. He ran until the streets became a little less pristine, probably entering the back alleys, and as he sprinted along the shoreline, he surmised that he had just entered the boatyards. Tall, square warehouses surrounded him on all sides and Barry concentrated on getting good and lost, so Dawn couldn't find him.

He almost slammed into a wall as he turned a corner, slipping on some sea water, but he regained his balance and charged on. His fists were closed firmly at his sides, and his eyes burned inexplicably, along with his chest. Every breath became a horrible labor, and he welcomed the pain because it took over his thoughts.

He didn't have to think about what he had done, where he was, or anything else until he really couldn't take one more step without collapsing. He leaned briefly against a wall, lungs heaving, until he looked up and realized he was alone. The roads were deserted, save for a lone Wingull peering curiously at him from a dock post.

Barry grabbed a rusted lock and yanked it off with a creaky _pop_, chucking it into the nearby ocean and ducking into the dusty interior of a massive storage shed. His torso continued to ache horribly, and a foggy black cloud ate at the edges of his vision.

He found a space between two ancient crates, gray with age, and plopped himself there. He drew his legs to his chest and buried his head in his arms.

_I'm overreacting,_ he thought at last. _I guess. I mean, I don't really want to face Dawn right now but…this _is_ a bit extreme._

He scowled, poking at the ground.

_There is definitely _something_ wrong with me, though. It's not healthy for me to see her like that! It's like I'm a Pokémon caught in Attraction or something._

Silence, and of course there would be no answer because he was completely alone in a forgotten world of crumpling ship parts.

It had come out of nowhere, to make matters worse. As if the time between his last encounter with Dawn had strengthened his feelings for her tenfold. It was more than a little disturbing. He could blame it on hormones or something, but it wasn't like _it _hadn't always been there. It wasn't like _it_ hadn't been waiting beneath the surface like smoldering embers, waiting for something to finally set them alight.

"Darn it," Barry grumbled to himself, rubbing at his orange eyes and leaning back to stare at the ceiling. A Zubat was up there, hanging upside down with its large ears pivoted towards him, but it didn't seem interested in the boy in the slightest.

_But she's got such a cute smile…_

He blinked, heaved another sigh, and for once didn't mind the fact that he was standing still for longer than thirty seconds.

There was a voice nearby.

His eyes shot open and he realized with a start that he had fallen asleep. But for how long? Even his _dreams_ had been haunted by her…

"Barry!" Someone yelled not far away.

He scowled, reaching towards his belt and tugging off a Pokéball. In a burst of crimson, his Heracross emerged. The Bug-type seemed flummoxed by his order to hold the door closed so no one could get in, but he didn't argue and went to press both of his armored forearms against the thin metal, legs braced for an impending assault.

That's when the boy heard that accursed sound. That stupid, _God dang sound_.

The static growl of a Luxray. And he knew as well as any other that they could see through walls.

This was followed by the excited bark of a Lucario, and then he heard her footsteps as she raced towards the warehouse, undoubtedly with bright eyes and a relieved smile.

_Shoulda known she'd find me eventually._

"Barry? You're in there, aren't you?" All of the teasing bravado she typically displayed during their battles was long gone from her voice. She sounded exhausted and desperate and hurt, and he grimaced involuntarily. "Lucario, is Barry in there?"

"Hmph," agreed the Fighting/Steel-type, his gruff tone almost indistinct passed the walls.

"Barry, please!" The door moved slightly, but Heracross threw his weight against it—and his considerable strength—and it budged no farther.

_Go away. _He knew it was pointless. She'd get in sooner or later.

"That's it, now I _know_ you're there if Luxray _and_ Lucario say so! _Open the door_, or I'll have to play dirty!"

No reply. He clamped his mouth shut, rising from his position and stretching cramped muscles. She started to sound really angry now.

"You big stubborn _idiot_!" A massive rumble of a growl made his eyes widen in surprise.

_She didn't…_

"Torterra, break that door down!"

There was a great, ear-splitting _screech_ as metal tore and bent, and Heracross scampered off for his own safety as the door blasted in and slammed against some old boxes, causing a literal _boatload_ of dust to fly into the air. Everything became foggy and unclear, and Barry was forced to cover his eyes and mouth as it threatened to choke and blind him.

One vivid blue flash later, the Torterra was gone and Dawn's Lucario was beside him, glowing with Aura energy that his Trainer could surely see, even in the cloudy atmosphere. Barry decided it wasn't worth running, and after the dust had settled, he dismissed Heracross and reluctantly faced her.

Dawn was glaring at him, hands clenched at her sides, Luxray to her left. "There you are! What were you _doing_ in here?"

Barry rubbed at his hair, exhaling slowly. "Nothing."

"Why did you run off for?" She strode towards him and sent her Lucario back into his Pokéball without even glancing at her concerned Pokémon. This showed the depth of her worry, because usually she was all about Pokémon love and attention.

"I…ah, forget it. It's no big deal." He tried to walk past her, but she grabbed his hand before he could get far.

"Barry…did I do something wrong?"

"What? No, of course not! Why would you think that?"

"I thought you were mad about the battle. I'm sorry. It won't count; I'll buy you some soda…okay?"

Did she really think it was about the _battle_? Barry snorted, trying to pry his hand free, but Dawn refused to let go.

"Quit that, why won't you let me touch you?" She snapped, irritated.

"W-What?"

"We used to hold hands all the time," finished the girl with a shrug. She seemed honestly confused, and he rolled his eyes, wondering how she could be so incredibly _clueless_.

"Yeah, when we were, like, five."

"So what's the difference now?"

_The difference…is pretty much everything. Ugh! How can you be so smart and yet be so stupid?_

"We're teenagers," he reminded her a little scathingly. "Holding hands isn't innocent anymore."

"I say otherwise." Dawn stepped a bit closer, peering at him from under her long eyelashes, and he felt his face flush again. "For whatever I did, I'm sorry. I really am."

"…You didn't do anything." Barry sat down on a low crate; his fingers still intertwined with hers, and let out a sigh. Naturally, she sat beside him.

…She was _way_ too close, and his hormones were going to be the death of him. He could feel her shoulder, the heat from her body, everything down to her black hair brushing his neck with dark dove feathers.

It would be so easy to just turn and—

"What's the matter, then? We used to tell each other _everything_. You're acting so weird, I mean, I expected to be fined for busting down that door." Dawn toyed with the hem of her shirt, brows furrowed in thought.

"It's not too late for that, I mean, whoever owns this place is gonna be ticked off." He purposely averted his eyes, finding it was easier to talk to her when his mind wasn't distracted by…whatever it was.

"Oh well. So, for real, tell me what's up."

Barry fixed his gaze on a high window, and he saw the faint blush of dusk against the rafter beams and metallic walls that lined the warehouse. The Zubat had gone, presumably when Torterra broke in, and now they were truly all alone.

…Save for her wretched Luxray with his spooky stare. At least the Electric-type was sitting in the doorway, back turned to them, so he wouldn't have to feel the strength of his X-ray vision. The ocean past the docks was the color of blood, the sun a low smudge on the horizon.

"…You think we can be friends forever?"

"Huh?" Dawn blinked repeatedly, thrown off by the quiet question. "This is so _bizarre_ for you. Of course we can be."

"I mean…out of _everything_. Even if I really screwed something up, would you still…?" The words were oddly difficult to say. Her grip tightened on his own, and her next sentence held the promise of unending generations.

"Of course, Barry. We're best pals, you and I, right?"

He said nothing, just turned his head away and looked out into the musty depths of the warehouse, where shadows untouched by light hid uncertain forms.

_I can't tell her,_ he realized. _Even if she promises, I just can't._

Five warm spots appeared on his skin as she made him face her, and he fought the urge to recoil as her stormy-sea eyes bore into his own with enough strength to make a Charizard back down. "Is _that_ what was bothering you?"

Disgust abruptly hit his heart hard, and he pulled away from her, standing and staring at anything other than her. "How can you be so _stupid_?"

"Hey, what did I do now?" Dawn sounded more alarmed than angry, springing to her feet.

"What, it's not _obvious_?"

"_No_, it's not. So please, can you tell me what's—"

"I think I love you, okay?" He blurted out.

And there, it was out. He had said it. Barry felt as if, simultaneously, he had had a weight lifted from his chest and that he was also waiting for the same weight to fall and crush him. Her reply now would either make or break him, and he had never been fond of heads or tails.

"…What?" Her tone had abruptly gone so soft that he barely heard it, but regardless he turned to her and waited for her response.

"So…yeah." His old impatience was back, stronger than ever, and he shook a fist at her with a scowl. "You've got ten seconds to tell me what you think of _that_ before I fine you a trillion dollars! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six—_what're you grinning about_?"

Dawn was smiling, with the biggest, most ridiculous kind of joy that he had ever seen. It was as if some madman had taken sunshine, laughter, and innocent dreams and weaved them together.

"Barry, is that _all_ you're worried about?"

"W-Wait. Huh? Backtrack a bit! You're not—"

She attempted to smother her giggle with one hand, but didn't quite succeed. "_You're_ the stupid one! I knew what the problem was; I was just waiting for you to say it yourself."

"…So you knew? For how long?"

"When I was reading by the museum, you stole my magazine and held it up, right?"

At his dazed nod, she continued with a casual toss of her hair.

"So, I took that opportunity to tell you I was sad that you had left for Hoenn first instead of waiting for me. You got this real anxious look on your face, like you were super apologetic about it, and you handed it back to me without delay. I've never seen _that_ before."

"…I coulda just been feeling guilty!"

"Maybe." Dawn raised one shoulder and let it fall. "However, that was the only reason I could think of."

"You still didn't give me my answer." Barry informed her after a moment's pause.

"No, guess I didn't." She walked towards him and grinned with all of her usual sunrise cheer. "I think I love you too."

Barry couldn't say anything for a good few seconds, then he shook himself (mentally) and asked, "But how much will this change?"

"Nothing at all. We can still be best friends, just…closer than before." She joined both of their hands and held them up to demonstrate.

"Closer than before," he repeated in a low, thoughtful murmur. There was still a risk, still something there that could go _horribly wrong_ and cause them to never speak to one another again. It was the one thing in life that he _wasn't_ rushing into at full speed. The last thing he wanted after all was a headlong collision with misfortune.

He valued Dawn far more than anything else, after all.

But then, he began to feel tentatively happy. He could see her smile, hear her laugh…everything would be different, and yet not. Maybe they'd travel through Hoenn together now, instead of separately.

(And he could laugh at Lucas later.)

"Let's get to the Pokémon Center," Dawn announced suddenly.

"What for?" Barry raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Didn't you heal your Zangoose already?"

"Yeah, but what about your Mightyena?"

"Hmm, that's right. Race you there!" He declared, only to be silenced an instant later as she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him hard on the lips. He didn't even have time to react before she was gone, zipping down the street with her Luxray hard on her heels.

She forgot one thing, though.

She was fast. Barry was far faster.

He caught up to her before she even turned the corner, and wrapping his arms around her waist, held her still as she yelped in shock.

"Hey, that's cheating!" He remarked with false indignation. "Head starts don't count!"

"Let go of me!" She struggled vainly, but he was unimpressed by it and yawned for her to see.

"Looks like I have to even the odds." He said in her ear, and he smirked as she unexpectedly froze. Her face had colored a deep russet, a richer shade than the setting sun, even. "Hah, what, are you scared now?"

"Er—no."

"Not very convincing." Barry returned the previous favor, pressing his mouth to hers before nipping her lip for good measure. He pelted off again—

-Only to be tackled by her brute of a Luxray.

"Get offa me!" He tried to throw off the smug looking Pokémon, but then Dawn passed by him. A flick of his finger released his Rapidash from her Pokéball, and as she dealt with the Electric-type, he chased after Dawn and succeeded in ensnaring the girl again.

"I _need_ a head start," she whined. "You're so much faster than me!"

"I refuse to let you cheat. The fine for that is a kiss, obviously." His orange eyes glinted into hers, and she stuck her tongue out.

"No way, I'm_ not_ gonna race you without a head start!"

"Then I guess we'll _not_ get to Center any time soon," he commented airily with a shark-toothed grin just for her.

And he was _just fine_ with that.

* * *

_**Yes, I know. Don't say it. I recalled whilst writing this that RawkstarVienna specifically told me **_**not **_**to make this an angst fic, and "lovesick Barry" was a bit too close to that for my taste, so I deviated from my original plot and decided to end with a twist and a cheery note. Ended up shorter, but not as "serious conversation" filled.**_

_**But hey, if you don't like it, I'll write another. For RawkstarVienna, because you're an awesome writer, friend, and person in general.**_

_**Reviews are appreciated—so long as you don't complain 'bout the unexpected story turn.**_


End file.
